miller



2 Sheets-Sheet 11.

(No Model.)

L. MILLER.

GRAIN BINDING HARVESTER.

No. 396,758. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

INVENTOR .dttorney (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. MILLER.

GRAIN BINDING HARVESTER. No. 896,758. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

. WITNESSES,

J1 INVEWTOR, 1 a: 5/ I,

LEYVIS MILLER, OF AKRON, OHIO.

GRAiN==BlNDIf\!G HARVESTER,

SPEGIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,758, dated January29, 1889.

Application filed January 16, 1886 Serial No. 188,778. (No model.)

To all whom it" may concern:

Be it known that l, LEWIS MILLER, of Akron, county of Summit, and Stateof ()hio, have 111- vent-ed a new and useful Improvement in GrainBindingHarvesters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being bad. to the accompanying drawings, makingpart of this specification.

My invention relates, mainly, to the devices for taking the grain fromthe delivery en (1 of the platform-carrier and moving it across or overthe inclined elevating-table to and packing it against the compressorpreparatory to binding the same; and it consists in the combination,with the packeractuating cranks or crank-shaft, of a series of bars (twoor more) having both picking or gathering and packing fingers for takingthe grain from the dis charging end of the platfornrcarrier and movingit up the inclined table to and packing it against the compressor withinthe arc of the circle within which the needle moves, and a second seriesof cranks connected through said bars with and actuated from the packercrank-shaft.

It further relates to the construction of thejbars carrying the gatherinand packing fingers and the manner of uniting them to theiractuatii'igcranks, and to the combination, with said packing andgathering finger bars, of a yielding fioat or spring-bar for holding thegrain down to the action of the picking or gathering and packingfingers, and insuring the proper movement of the grain thereby, as willbe explained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation, partlybroken away, of a harvesting-machine with my improvements applied. Fig.2 is a perspective view of a portion of the binder-frame and-inner endof the platf01un-ca1'-rier, with the binder-table removed to show thegathering and packing devices and their actuatingeianks; and Fig. 3

is a side elevation of one of the gathering and packing bars and aportion of another with its removable half crankboX removed or detached.Fig. l is a perspective view of one of the crankshafts which actuate thegathering and packing devices detached, showing the arrangement of thecranks.

' The machine, in its organization or general construction andarrangement of parts, is

similar to others in use and will not therefore be described in detail,except so far as is necessary to an understanding of the improvementsherein claimed.

A indicates the main or platform frame; B, the main drive-wheel; C, theplatfor1n-carrier, and A the standard-bracket in which the rear end ofthe outer longitudinal bar, D, of the binder-frame is supported, asimilar or other suitable standard, A serving to support the bar D fromthe inner end of the forwardplatform sill, the inner ends or extensionsof the front and rear platform frame sills, in connection with thestandards A and A and bar D, with suitable inclined transverse barswhich serve to support the inclined elevating-table F, forming atriangular frame, within which, between the inner end of theplatform-carrier C and the plane of the inner face of the drive-wheel B,the picking or gathering, packing, and binding devices and theiractuating mechanism are arranged, as hereinafter described.

The standard A is provided with a bearing for the rear end of the mainbinder-gear shaft (1, which has further bearings in suitable brackets onthe bindenframe or in the forward "outer standard-bracket in a mannerwell understood, and receives motion from the main drive-wheel through abevel-wheel gearing with a bevel-wheel on the secondary or pinion shaft,as indicated, or in any suitable manner. The shaft a is provided withcranks CL a arranged, preferably, in pairsa central pair with space forthe needle between the bars I) b or packers actuated by them and otherpairs in front and in rear of said central pair for acting on the buttsand heads of the straw or grain. p

The shaft 0, has secured to it a spur gearor pinion, a which engages anddrives a similar gear, 0, fast on a longitudinal shaft, 0, mounted insuitable bearings on the main frame a, and having on its forward end acrank or crank-wheel, from which motion is communicated to theknife-bar, and on its rear end one or more sprocket-wheels, from whichmotion is communicated to the platform-carrier and other operative partsof the machine in any suitable manner.

D and D are two inclined bars connected by sleeves cl, at their upperends, with the packer crank-shaft a, and by sleeves d, at or near thecenter of their length, with the shaft 0. These bars extend beyond theshaft 0 toward the platforin-carrier, and are provided at their endsadjacent to said carrier with sleeve-bearings (1?, in which a secondpacker crank-shaft, 6, having cranks c is mounted, to the cranks ofwhich the lower ends of the bars Z) and Z) are attached.

The shaft 6 may have other bearings than those described, if desired,for supporting them from the harvester-frame, its flooring, or othersuitable point; but those referred to have been found sufficient inpractice, as they serve to prevent relative lateral movement of theshafts a and 6, connected by the bars lib, which is important, as theshaft 6 receives its rotary movement from the shaft a through the seriesof connecting-bars l) and b.

The bars I) and I) are made arching in form between the points ofattachment to the shaft c and e for a double purpose-win, to adapt themto conform to the movements of the cranks on said shafts, and at thesame time swing clear of and above the intermediate shaft, 0, and toadapt them in such arched portion to pass up through the slots in theinclined binder-table l and so to present an extended surface, whichshall act upon the grain upon said table to lift it bodily and move itupward over the table toward the compressor G, relieved from thefrictional resistance of the surface of the table to such upwardmovement. These bars are provided at their upper ends with fingers Dwhich act as packers, moving within the arc of the circle described bythe needle for packing the grain, and at their lower ends withoutwardlyprojecting curved fingers Z1 the points of which, in theoutward and upward throw of the cranks actuating the bars, move in closeproximity with the delivery end of the platform-carrier outside of thearc of a circle in which the needle moves and serve to gather upperarched faces or edges each with one or more short intermediate fingers,spurs, or teeth, I), which serve to prevent the grain from slippingbackward while it is being car ried upward over the table by sucharching portions of the bars. These intermediate spurs or teeth, I),being made short, are withdrawn below the inclined table before thegathering-teeth Z1 are, and so permit the grain to roll back against thelatter and thereby to become detached or separated from the grain beingbound and to accumulate to form a new bundle.

The bars Z) and Z) are made of thin metal, flanged on their lowerconcave edges to give them the requisite stiffness an d strength withoutunnecessary weight of material, and have half-boxes formed in their endswhere they connect with their actuating-cranks, removable half-boxes band suitable screws or short bolts serving to unite them to said cranks.The cranks of each pair of bars are set opposite each other, so as tomake said bars and their lingers act alternately; but those at the frontand rear are set, preferably, at an angle of about ninety degrees tothose of the central pair to cause the bars to act intermediately ofthose of the central pair, and thereby to make them practicallycontinuous in their actions, which will be readily understood withoutfurther description.

ll indicates the lmotter-shield, v the inner or lower end of which isattached to and upheld by the picker-supporting bar H, and to said endissecured abar, h, which projects over the inner or delivery end of theplatform-carrier and has a curved bar or plate, 7L, forming a floathinged to its outer end, said float extending inward over the inner endof the platform-carrier and the adjacent lower side of the inclinedelevating-table, as shown, and serving by its weight or elasticity,either or both, to hold the grain passing off the delivery end of thecarrier and upward on the inclined table down lightly to the action ofthe gathering-fingers and the bars to which said fingers are attachedand to insure its movement up to the action of the packingfingers. Thebar or float h has its inner end upheld at any desired height above thetable by means of an adj usting-rod, 71 connected thereto with its upperend passing through a perforation in the bar h and upheld by a pinpassed through any one of a series of holes in its upper end above thebar h. A light coiled spring, 7L surrounding the rod 7&2 between the armor bar 7L and the float h, serves to hold the latter down to its workwith the required pressure.

The bar ll has pickers or gathering-fingers I I connectc d with it, towhich motion is imparted in any usual manner for causing them to assistin picking the grain off the delivery end of the platform-carrier andmoving it up the foot of the inclined table and within the reach andaction of the other picking grainmoving devices described.

Parts of the machine not specifically described may be of any usual orpreferred c011- struction and arrangement.

Having now described my inven tion, I claim as new 1. The combination,with the slotted binder-v table, of parallel crank-shafts, arched barsconnected to cranks on said shafts to pass through the table and act onthe grain thereon, and picker or gathering and packing fingers on saidbars, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The inclined and slotted elevating binder-table and the crank shaftsunderneath said table, in combination with arched bars connected attheir opposite ends to cranks 011 said shafts to pass through saidtable, and the picker and packer fingers on said bars, also passingthrough the table, all substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the needle, of the arched bars carryinggathering and packing fingers, and operating on opposite sides of and inclose proximity to the plane of said needle, the parallel crank-shaftshaving oppositely-arranged cranks in pairs for operating said bars toact alternately on the straw, and oppositely-arrangedintermediately-aeting cranks, carrying also curved bars having gatheringand packing fingers and acting on the ends of the straw, substantiallyas described.

4. In combination with the slotted bindertable, the needle orneedle-guard, the crankshafts, and the bars connecting said shaftsprovided with pickers or gathering fingers and packers, and with spursarranged between the gathering-fingers and packers, and made short forthe purpose of releasing the grain and pern'iitting a rolling motionthereof between the packers and gatlwring-fingers, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination, with the slotted hinder-table, needle, andcompressor, of the parallel crank-shafts, and the arched bars con,-nectiug the cranks on said shafts and provided with pickers orgathering-fingers and packers, and the intermediate spurs made shorterthan the gathering and picking fingers, all substantially as and for thepurpose described.

6. The frame-work supporting the bindertable, in combination with theparallel crankshafts located underneath said table for operating thegathering-fingers and packers, and the bars or braces connecting saidshafts, and in the ends of which said shafts are j ournaled,substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the inclined ele vating binder-table, of theparallel crankshafts located underneath said table, the connecting barsor braces in which said shafts have their bearings, said bars beingprovided also with bearings for the crank-shaft actuating the knife-bar,and the arched bars carrying the gathering-fingers and packers connectedto and operated by said parallel crank-shafts, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day ofDecember, A. D. 1885.

LElVIS MILLER.

\Vitnesses:

O. L. SADLER, W. K. MEANS.

